Focus on Peru – Baguazo

In 2008, the Peruvian Government issued a series of legislative decrees that loosen the requirements for exploitations in the Amazon, the lungs of the world. In response thousands of indigenous people and peasants protested on the streets against the decrees because they put the Amazon’s ecosystem at risk. The protesters also opposed the legislation because the government did not previously consult them.

After several days of mobilizations, on June 5th, 2009, the “Baguazo” occurred: a police ambush attacked protesters and as a result of the confrontation 23 policemen, 5 indigenous people, and 5 Bagua citizens were killed. The State’s response has been weak considering that it has not conducted acomplete investigation of what happened in Bagua. However, the State has managed to begin criminal investigations against 53 of the protesters. Currently, the trial is still under way and according to the accused protesters, the government has violated their right to a fair trial among other human rights.

“Justice for the Amazon’s Defenders” is an audiovisual campaign that tells the story of the “Baguazo” and the events that followed the mobilization. In this series of videos you will find the story of the indigenous peoples’ struggle and the criminal procedures that the Peruvian State opened against 53 of the protesters. The testimonies narrate the human rights abuses committed during the trial and the negative effects that the case has brought to Peruvian indigenous mobilizations and social movements.